Buckets of fun at the British Beach Polo Championships

THE BRITISH BEACH Polo Championships are back on the beaches of Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset, for the third year in 2010.

THE BRITISH BEACH Polo Championships are back on the beautiful beaches of Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset, for the third year in 2010. Polo fans, celebrities and the world’s greatest polo players will hit the sand for two days of fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled arena polo between Friday 9 July and Saturday 10 July. Enjoy the glamorous atmosphere and
display of sportsmanship from this horseback team game during the
daytime, then party with the stars at the glamorous evening parties.

Polo, though formalised and made
popular by the British, is believed to have been first played in Persia
over 2,000 years ago, and the modern game comes from that played in
Manipur, in India. The first British polo club, The Calcutta Polo Club,
was set up in 1862 by two British soldiers and the game spread to
Britain, and throughout the world in the 19th and 20th centuries.

 Sandpolo head, Johnny Wheeler, says; “This year’s British Beach Polo Championships are going to be bigger and better than ever before. Of course, the polo is going to be of a very high standard as usual but, for those who are not yet hooked on the sport, we’ll also have some new elements such as beach volleyball displays, a creche for youngsters, fashion shows and “have-a-go” polo for those who have never played before. The event will be raising funds for local charities, including the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Dorset children’s hospice, Julia’s House and the Heaton Ellis Trust for Motor Neurone Disease. The highlight of the fundraising activities is bound to be the annual charity race between a polo pony and a Mercedes G Class car which may, this year, have a very special third competitor.

For more information about the British Beach Polo Championships, visit www.sandpolo.com and to find out more about visiting Poole, www.pooletourism.com.